Fence Panel with interlock

ABSTRACT

A panel is provided for construction of a fence and for connection to a similar panel in interlocking relationship. The panel includes a receiver, a mounting portion and a side wall. The side wall is disposed between the receiver and the mounting portion wherein the receiver of a first panel is interlocked with the mounting portion of a second panel. The rounded features of the mounting portion facilitate insertion into the receiver forcing the receiver to expand beyond its original dimension. Once inserted a base leg of the receiver and a flange of the mounting portion remain in biased contact forcing the shoulder of the mounting portion into contact with the contact wall of the receiver and effectively interlocking the two panel members and thereby limiting lateral movement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an interlocking fence panel with an interlock useful for holding fence panels in engagement and presenting a pleasing ornamental appearance. More particularly, it is concerned with a panel having an improved interlock structure which provides improved means for determining interlocking engagement of the panels, increased durability and greater rigidity of the panel and improved windload resistance.

Vinyl fencing is used to provide a decorative and protective barrier or boundary for property owners. The panels are typically located between posts firmly anchored into the ground and the panels are supported by horizontal guide rails at the upper and lowermost reaches of the panels thereby holding the fence panels in a vertical orientation.

It is desirable to provide a rigid interlock structure to connect adjacent fence panels. Fencing panels with a loosely connecting interlock are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,904,343 and 5,725,201 which provide for adjustable width panel assemblies. While these siding panels have certain advantages, it is believed that structural improvements would enhance the performance of the fencing panels in use.

Thus, there has developed a need for a fencing panel which is not only attractive, but also provides improved rigidity an audible confirmation of the interlock and increased durability of the final assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These objectives have largely been solved by the fencing panels of the present invention. That is to say, the fence paneling hereof retains the attractive appearance of the prior art panels but yields improved performance by greater resistance to wind and other applied loads and provides the user with an audible confirmation of the interlocking of the panels sections.

The fence panel hereof is preferably formed as an elongated panel with a receiver and a mounting portion with a side wall disposed between the receiver and mounting portion. The receiver of a first panel is configured to receive the mounting portion of a second panel thereby allowing a fence of varying length to be constructed depending upon the number of panel sections utilized.

The mounting portion is a continuation of the side wall configured generally in the shape of the letter “G” that rolls under the side wall and is comprised of a series of bends that ultimately terminate in a cantilevered flange. The third bend, upright and knee of the mounting portion are the features that are initially inserted into the gap that exists between the upper end of the base leg of the receiver and the second side of the side wall. The receiver gap is of a lesser dimension than the combined height of the third bend, upright and knee; however, the rounded corners of the third bend and the knee coupled with the flexibility of the cantilevered base leg allows the gap to spread a sufficient amount to receive the mounting portion. Once fully received into the receiver the cantilevered flange audibly snaps into biased contact with the base leg of the receiver causing the shoulder of the mounting portion to move into contact with the contact wall of the receiver. It is the resulting biased contact between the mounting portion and the receiver that serves to interlock the fence panels and minimize the relative movement between the panel sections.

As a result, a superior panel is provided which yields both qualitative and quantitative levels of improvements over prior art panels. The benefits noted above and other improvements will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the drawings and the attached description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fence panel in accordance with the present invention in a vertical orientation, showing a series of adjacent panels positioned within the lower fence rail with the upper fence rail elevated to reveal the interlocking configuration;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a single fence panel;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a mounting portion of a first fence panel approaching a receiver of a second fence panel and immediately prior to insertion;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mounting portion of a first fence panel passing midway through the gap of the receiver of the second panel and further showing the receiver base leg deflected to its extreme open position;

FIG. 5 is a plan view, similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, showing the mounting portion of a first fence panel inserted into the receiver of a second panel in interlocking engagement;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of several interlocking fence panels inserted into the fence rails; and

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of an isolated fence rail utilized to support the fence panels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, interlocking fence panels 10, 11 in accordance with the present invention are preferably manufactured as single elongated articles from a unitary sheet of synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride. One preferred technique is extruding the fence panels 10, 11 which are shaped by passing through dies to achieve the desired configuration. As further depicted in FIG. 2, the panels 10, 11 present a side wall 12 further comprised of a first side 14 and a second side 16. Broadly speaking, and as seen in FIG. 2, the fence panels present a mounting portion 18, a receiver 20 and the side wall 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting portion 18 and the receiver 20 are disposed opposite one another with the side wall 12 disposed there between. Successive fence panel 10, 11 sections can be interlocked by snapping the mounting portion 18 into the receiver 20 thereby ensuring a rigid connection between the two panel 10, 11 sections. The locking engagement of the panel sections 10, 11 is audibly confirmed by the snapping into position of several key features of the receiver and mounting portion and will be discussed in more detail in the following sections.

As seen in FIG. 2, the mounting portion 18 comprises a generally “G” shaped configuration and relies upon a biased contact between various features of the mounting portion 18 and the receiver 20 to accomplish the rigid interlock between the adjacent panels 10, 11. The various features of the interlocking panel that will be discussed in detail below are preferably 0.070 inch in thickness but may vary depending upon the specific requirements of the fence. It should be understood that the above referenced dimension is only exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 2 depicts the side wall 12 transitioning into the mounting portion 18 which comprises a first bend 24 of about 90 degrees that transitions into a shoulder 26. The mounting portion shoulder 26 transitions into a second bend 28 of about 90 degrees that leads into a strut 30 before encountering a third bend 32. The third bend 32 of about 90 degrees extends upwardly toward the second side 16 and leads into an upright 34 before encountering a knee 36. The knee 36 extends into a flange 38 that extends angularly away from the second side 16. At the furthest most reach of the flange 38 is the contact edge 40 wherein force is applied against the base leg 66 of the receiver 20 when the mounting portion 18 is inserted into the receiver 18. An alternative configuration as will be discussed in more detail below utilizes the entire, or potentially a portion, of the flange 38 for engagement against the base leg 66. It is the biasing force of the base leg 66 against the contact edge 40 or a greater portion of the flange 38 that drives the mounting portion 18 further into the receiver 20, securely interlocks the two components and provides for an audible confirmation of the interlock. This rigid interlocking characteristic of the fence panels 10, 11 will be described more fully below following a description of the receiver 20.

FIG. 2 further reveals that the receiver 20 is disposed opposite the mounting portion 18 with the side wall 12 interposed between the receiver 20 and mounting portion 18. The receiver 20, similar to the mounting portion 18, is comprised of several critical features. The side wall 12 transitions through a 90 degree elbow 60 forming a contact wall 62. The contact wall 62 transitions into a base curve 64 that extends upwardly toward the second side 16 to form a base leg 66. At the upper end 68 of the base leg 66 a return bend 70 in the shape of a serpentine loop is formed transitioning into a cantilever leg 72. The cantilever leg 72 terminates at a tip 74.

FIG. 3 reveals a mounting portion 18 of a first panel section 10 immediately prior to insertion into the receiver 20 of a second panel section 11. The gap identified by G in FIG. 3 represents the receiver opening in its relaxed position which is narrower than the width W of the mounting portion 18 that will be inserted there through.

As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting portion 18 during insertion into the receiver 20 spreads the opening with an initial dimension of G to an opening width equivalent to W. This widest dimension for G occurs when the knee 36 of the mounting portion 18 passes directly over the upper end 68 of the receiver 20. The mounting portion 18 readily slides into the receiver 20 because the rounded knee 36 32 readily slides over the rounded upper end 68 of the base leg 66 when pressure is applied to the fence panels 10, 11 that are being interlocked. The thermoplastic material comprising the fence panels 10, 11 allows the cantilevered base leg 66 of the receiver 20 to flex primarily through deflection at the base curve 64. Once the mounting portion 18 fully penetrates into the receiver 20, the gap G rapidly returns to its original or resting separation distance. Moreover, once the mounting portion is fully inserted into the receiver there is an audible snap confirming that the contact edge 40 of the flange 38 has moved into contact with the base leg 66 and pressure is being applied along the line of contact P.

An alternative embodiment of the interlocked configuration has some portion, or potentially all, of the surface of the flange 38 in biased contact with the base leg 66 thereby distributing the pressure exerted by the two surfaces against one another over a wider area than just along line of contact P. This alternative embodiment would function equally as well to drive the shoulder 26 into contact with the contact wall 62 thereby forming a rigid interlock between the two panels 10, 11 and would not detract from the interlocking functionality of the invention.

FIG. 5 depicts the mounting portion 18 fully inserted into the receiver 20 with the contact edge 40 of the flange 38 in biased contact with the base leg 64 at line of contact P. The flange 38 and the base leg 66 are subject to oppositely disposed forces because of the pressure being applied along line of contact P against one another. The pressure along line of contact P further forces the shoulder 26 of the mounting portion 18 against the contact wall 62 of the receiver 20. The pressure along P maintains the fence panels 10, 11 in a rigid and interlocked state minimizing relative lateral movement of the fence panels and increasing their ability to withstand high wind and other types of loads that may be applied against the fence.

The fence panels 10, 11 when in operation are positioned within fence rails 100 and 102 as seen in FIG. 6. The fence rails 100, 102 contain channels 104, 106 and are of a width appropriate for receiving the fence panels 10, 11. Multiple fence panels 10, 11 are assembled to cover the length of the fence rail except for the end segments 110, 112 that will be inserted into the openings 120, 122 of the fence post 125. The protruding end segments 110, 112 of the fence rails 100, 102 are slid into the openings and can be appropriately secured in position using various techniques known by those skilled in the art. Both ends of the fence rails 100, 102 are supported in place by being inserted into the openings 120, 122 of separate fence rails.

FIG. 7 shows an elevation view of a fence rail 104. The fence rail is comprised of side walls 150, 152 and a base portion 154 for supporting and securing the fence panels in position. The fence rails are preferably constructed of a thermoplastic material and can be produced in a variety of dimensions to accommodate varying fence panel dimensions.

While the present invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to those specific embodiments. Different formats, embodiments, and adaptations besides those shown and described as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements may also be used to implement the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto. 

1. An interlocking fence panel assembly comprising: a first panel with a sidewall interposed between a mounting portion and a receiver, a second panel with a sidewall interposed between a mounting portion and a receiver, the mounting portion of the first and second panel comprising a shoulder and a flange with a contact feature; the receiver of the first and second panels comprising a base leg and a contact wall, wherein when the mounting portion of the first panel is received into the receiver of the second panel the flange of the mounting portion of the first panel remains in biased contact with the base leg of the receiver of the second panel thereby urging the shoulder of the mounting portion into contact with the contact wall of the receiver and thereby limiting relative movement between the first and second panel.
 2. The interlocking fence panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion of the first and second panels further comprises a knee for providing flexure to the flange.
 3. The interlocking fence panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the receiver of the first and second panels further comprises a base curve for providing flexure to the base leg.
 4. An interlocking fence panel assembly comprising: a sidewall comprising a first side and a second side; a mounting portion comprising a series of three bends of approximately 90 degrees each, a mounting shoulder interposed between the first and second bend and a strut interposed between the second and third bend, wherein the third bend extends into an upright for supporting a cantilevered flange that extends from a knee, the knee directing the flange transversely away from the sidewall and terminating in a contact edge; a receiver disposed opposite the mounting portion on the sidewall, the receiver comprising an elbow of about 90 degrees extending into a contact wall, the contact wall extending into a base curve with a base leg extending transversely from the base curve toward the second side of the sidewall and terminating in a cantilever base leg following a return bend, a gap being formed between the base leg and the second side of the side wall; wherein the mounting portion of a first panel is inserted into the receiver of a second panel through the gap and wherein the flange remains in biased contact with the base leg of the receiver thereby urging the shoulder of the mounting portion into contact with the contact wall of the receiver and interlocking the first and second panel limiting relative lateral movement of the first and second panels.
 5. In a process for producing an interlocking fence panel assembly that limits relative movement between the fence panels, the process being of the type including the steps of: extruding a sidewall comprising a first side and a second side; extruding a mounting portion into a first end of the sidewall, the mounting portion comprising a first bend of about 90 degrees extending into a shoulder, the shoulder extending into a second bend of about 90 degrees to form a strut, the strut extending into a third bend of about 90 degrees forming an upright that extends partially to the second side of the sidewall, the upright extending into a knee that further extends into a cantilevered flange that extends generally transversely away from the side wall of the fence panel terminating at a contact edge; extruding a receiver disposed opposite the mounting portion on the sidewall, the receiver comprising an elbow of about 90 degrees extending into a contact wall, the contact wall extending into a base curve with a base leg extending transversely from the base curve toward the second side of the sidewall and terminating in a cantilever base leg with a serpentine loop, a gap being formed between the base leg and the second side of the side wall wherein upon inserting the mounting portion of a first panel into the receiver of a second panel through the gap the flange remains in biased contact with the base leg of the receiver thereby urging the shoulder of the mounting portion into contact with the contact wall of the receiver limiting relative lateral movement between the first and second panels.
 6. In a process for constructing an interlocking fence panel assembly that limits relative movement between the fence panels, the process being of the type including the steps of: inserting a mounting portion of a first fence panel into a receiver of a second fence panel; placing in biased contact a flange of the mounting portion of the first panel with a base leg of the receiver of the second fence panel; creating an audible confirmation of the biased contact between the flange and the base leg; and repositioning of a shoulder of the mounting portion of the first fence panel into contact with a contact wall of the receiver of the second side panel. 